Leslie M. Grant · Jacob's Four Pillars

Proverbs 31:10 says "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies". What was the price in this case? Seven years wages; it was all completely wrong, a wife is worth a lot more than that, far more. "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord" (Prov.18:22) (favour is grace). So the marriage relationship beautifully represents the pure grace of God. This is something that should never have been so badly mishandled by Jacob. Of course we know that many nations have acted similarly and sell their daughters, the husbands paying a dowry when they marry. In reality this is the selling of the woman. Did Rachel belong to Laban? Do my children belong to me? No, they do not. My wife does belong to me, but my children do not. That is something to keep in mind. Scripture says in Ephesians 5, a good number of times, "your own wife", but so far as I am aware we do not find the expression "your own children", instead we read 'When a man leaves his father and mother' (Gen.2:24). He does not belong to his father and mother.